LDS leaders’ modest stipend grows to a quarter million each per year

[drumdude]

Following the long-term trend, we assume a 3.1% annual increase, to $157,850 in base "living allowance" or, salary & parsonage.

Page 2 (new page) displays our calculation of total compensation since being called as a General Authority. This is living allowance + benefits + annual value of 0% interest loans. Some of these figures extend above $5 million.

We now assume 40% of this base salary for the value of benefits (insurance, per-child adjustments, tuition benefits, etc), whereas previously our assumption was 25%. The bump to 40% is based on our examination of audited BYU system financial statements for 2014 to 2021, in which benefit costs consistently amounted to ~40% of salaries across all 4 system campuses and a total of >$600M in salaries for 2021.

For 2023 total compensation of ~$251k per General Authority (living allowance, benefits, and an average of $30k/year assumed value of interest-free loans to consolidate debt and household mortgages).

$30M in total compensation expense for the Church's senior leadership, of which ~$19M is living allowance and ~$11M is benefits.

Looking back at household income data, we continue to view General Authority compensation in the top 10% of Utah households, 65% higher than the median Utah household income.

As a reminder, General Authority compensation is paid out of income on Church investments, not current year tithing. However, it should be noted that all Church investments are made with surplus tithing from prior years.

From: widows mite report

https://widowsmitereport.wordpress.com/comp/

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints there is no paid ministry, no professional clergy, as is common in other churches."

Boyd K. Packer as an Apostle, September 1979 (Liahona)

“All of the work in the Church is voluntary. No one is paid for such service.”

Gordon B. Hinckley as President of the Church; Thomas S. Monson and James E. Faust as Counselors in the First Presidency; Boyd K. Packer, L. Tom Perry, David B. Haight, Neal A. Maxwell, Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks, M. Russell Ballard, Joseph B. Wirthlin, Richard G. Scott, Robert D. Hales, Jeffrey R. Holland, Henry B. Eyring as Apostles, 2004 (Preach My Gospel, Unanimously Approved by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles)

"I explained also that our Church has no paid ministry and indicated that these were two reasons why we were able to build the buildings then under way, including the beautiful temple at Freiberg."

Thomas S. Monson as a Counselor in the First Presidency, April 2006 (General Conference)

“We have no professionally trained and salaried clergy in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

Dallin H. Oaks as an Apostle, April 2012 (General Conference)

From: Standards of Truth
https://ia802306.us.archive.org/19/item ... 0Truth.pdf

[Wonhyo]

The prosperity gospel is alive and well at Church HQ.

[dastardly stem]

It was probably 10 years ago we got that leak that said they got base pay of 120 grand. That's quite an increase from that time, although I also wonder why they have a base pay and what gets added to that and for what reason.

oh wait. That was less than 10 years ago:

A second newly leaked document, from a more recent year, is a 2014 memo from the church's Presiding Bishopric (which handles all financial issues for the faith), noting that the "base living allowance" for all Mormon general authorities was being raised from $116,400 to $120,000.

https://archive.sltrib.com/article.php? ... type=CMSID

[drumdude]

There are 4 documented years which form the basis for the projection.

F30F2E46-2331-4E0C-82A7-D1F68083A1A5.jpeg

The total value comes from “ living allowance, benefits, and an average of $30k/year assumed value of interest-free loans to consolidate debt and household mortgages”

Benefits at BYU sum with salary to 140% of the salary amount so they are going off of that +30k.

[Dr Moore]

This reminds me of so many things in the church, automated under the motto, “all things in order.” There’s something hypnotic about a locked-in 3.1% perpetual inflation modifier for church salaries. I bet the brethren love the kinds of business automation that modern software delivers.

[dastardly stem]

I can't remember exactly, but I think as a low level employee you weren't guaranteed that rate increase each year. It all was dependent on a few things and I believe it was dispersed depending on rank, or worth--meaning a manger might have gotten a 3% increase, but those under him/her might have gotten a portion of say a 5% increase dispersed at the discretion of the manager or something of that sort.

[malkie]

From: widows mite report

https://widowsmitereport.wordpress.com/comp/

...
“We have no professionally trained and salaried clergy in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

Dallin H. Oaks as an Apostle, April 2012 (General Conference)

From: Standards of Truth
https://ia802306.us.archive.org/19/item ... 0Truth.pdf

Strictly, Oaks is correct.

See the "and" there?

That means that the entire statement is true if either "We have no professionally trained ... clergy" or "We have no ... salaried clergy" is true.

Since the LDS "clergy" are untrained, his statement stands.

[Moksha]

That means that the entire statement is true if either "We have no professionally trained ... clergy" or "We have no ... salaried clergy" is true.

Since the LDS "clergy" are untrained, his statement stands.

That is simply comingling the truths of men with wholly falsehood.

[malkie]

That means that the entire statement is true if either "We have no professionally trained ... clergy" or "We have no ... salaried clergy" is true.

Since the LDS "clergy" are untrained, his statement stands.

That is simply comingling the truths of men with wholly falsehood.

Oaks is a lawyer, right? And so likely well trained, and well versed, in the structure of arguments.

He knows well how to make a true statement that contains a falsehood.

by the way, I hope I'm not ruffling lawyerly feathers here: I'm not suggesting that this is something that lawyers in general do, simply that they know how to do it. The same would be true, I believe, of anyone trained in logic or rhetoric.

[Moksha]

by the way, I hope I'm not ruffling lawyerly feathers here: I'm not suggesting that this is something that lawyers in general do, simply that they know how to do it. The same would be true, I believe, of anyone trained in logic or rhetoric.

If Consiglieri were to read it, he would understand and perhaps have a Marvel comics quotation to add to it.